Something in the Air
by Aronoded
Summary: Multiple Character : Set during Harry's 6th year. : Love is abound at Hogwarts...and so are the difficulties that follow on loves tail. Ron and Harry are confused. Ginny's amused, Hermione and Draco are ever difficult and Luna's well...Luna. :D
1. Default Chapter

Notes: Spoilers for Order of the Phoenix as this is supposed to take place in Harry's sixth year. Of course I don't know what will happen in his sixth year, so I'm keeping big action out of the fic, and just playing with normal character relations.  
  
This is Chapter One, so others will follow.  
  
This story is for Nikki, who is ever inspiring, and for Jamie, my greatest friend.  
  
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Something In the Air  
  
Chapter One  
  
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"Ruddy Hell..."  
  
The book that lay open before Hermione Granger was momentarily forgotten as she raised her eyes to look curiously at Ron who sat in the arm chair across from her. He was bent forward, elbows on knees, as the book he'd been staring at dazed, slid between his parted legs and to the floor with a great thud. His hands were fists, clutched lightly in bright red hair.  
  
"Well..? What is it?" She asks after a long moment of watching the vein pulse delicately beneath the pale skin of his temple.  
  
"Have you ever just wanted to throw them in the fire?" He asks her, lifting his head to look at her inquiringly, his hands falling to twine fingers absently between his knees. His hair, though plainly released, still stood momentarily on end.  
  
"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Ron." She tuts, giving a shake of her bushy head as a hand raised to assist a thick lock back. Her eyes were back on her own book, trying to ignore as he made the motions of picking his book up and chucking it into the flame in slow motion. Even as she wasn't looking at him, she could tell his eyes were great and wide as though the book had mesmerized him into a questionable mental state. "Oh honestly..." She hisses with a suppressed chuckle. "And what would your mum say to that, I wonder? Having to buy you a new History of Magic book."  
  
"I s'pose I could have Fred and George buy me one. They're in a right comfortable state now, aren't they?" He leans back in the arm chair with a comfortable sigh, lanky limbs seeming especially so in that position. One foot he could actually prop up against Hermione's knee, the other being used to push his book dangerously close to the licking flames.  
  
"Suppose they tell you to bugger off?" She asks, glancing down to his socked foot before moving her leg so it falls back to the thick rug. "Suppose they send you a trick boo---Ron! Are you thick!?" She asks with a gasp suddenly, leaning over to sweep the book up mere inches from it's demise. Her own falls to the floor, followed by several rolls of parchment. Ron snickers.   
  
"`Mione, I wasn't really going to let it burn..." He smirks, rubbing his chin with his fingers slightly, as he watched her with an arched brow.  
  
"Oh, bug off, Ron." She hisses, kicking him. "Sometimes I think you do things just to goad me on."  
  
"It's not my fault you behave like a bampot everytime I say or do anything." He informs her. "Bloody hell, You have to admit it doesn't take much for you to go nutters, Hermione. I think you just like to yell at me."  
  
"6 years of picking up your slack without any thanks might have done it to me.." She mumbles half heartedly, still leaning over as she gathered her things.  
  
"Oh, come on, 'Mione." He sighs, sliding down out of his chair to his knees before her. "You don't really mean that. Of course I appreciate it...I'd never pass without your notes." He reaches out and gathers the things she didn't pick up and sets them aside in the chair usually reserved for Harry, who was missing at the time being.  
  
She looks up at him for a long moment before she sighs. "Why I put up with you lot, I'll never know." She murmurs, reaching out to brush back a lock of Ron's unruly hair. He'd let it grow some over the holiday and had the endearing habit of falling into his eyes. He was looking cross eyed up at her fingers before he grinned at her.  
  
"Because without us, your life would be boring." He teases, feeling the smallest bit of relief when she smiles. He rests an elbow on one of her knees, leaning there against her, legs curled to his side.  
  
"I suppose your right about that." She sighs in mock regret, resting her chin in her palm and her elbow on her other knee, face to face with him.  
  
Ron could feel his ears turning red as she made to absently tuck his hair back repeatedly, as it wouldn't stay where she was trying to put it. It'd grown very quiet and thick between them suddenly, and she'd seemed to notice it too, as the light freckles across her nose grew deeper with a blush. "Er...Well I suppose we should go and find Har-"  
  
"Shh...wait." He whispers, reaching up to lay a forefinger against her lips before closing the few inches between them to graze his lips over hers.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh Harry. If you don't like Luna, why do you get so up in arms when people mistreat her?" Ginny was insisting as she trotted to keep up with the sixth year boy with the unruly dark hair and lightning bolt scar.   
  
Harry was incensed, one fist curled, the other holding his wand so tightly his knuckles were white with tension. "Just because it makes me mad, doesn't mean I like her, Ginny. I'd get mad if someone mistreated you."  
  
She chuckles, sliding side ways to avoid the green spark of a first years wand, ignoring the student behind her as their nose swells up to twice it's size, making their cries of alarm sound more like the honking of a goose. "Ol' Loony can take care of herself, she's been doing it for years, Harry. Nothing anyone has done before has bothered her."  
  
She stops abruptly as Harry whirls to face her, his wand in her face unintentionally, yet threatening nonetheless. "Don't call her that." He warns, looking her in the eye before to the wand, lowering it quickly in realization. "Er...Sorry."  
  
"S'ol right."  
  
They were walking again towards the Common room, Harry shaking his head in frustration. "How do you know it doesn't bother her? Besides, it's not like it was someone normal buggering her. It was Malfoy, and his rotten lot.."  
  
She laughs. "Harry. Malfoys a student here like anyone else." She points out. "He's normal isn't he?" Again, she found herself whirled upon, only this time, Harry was shoving the wand in his pocket. She sighs and hugs her book to her chest, brows raising, waiting for it.  
  
"Normal? Normal!? Have you forgotten who Draco is? He's a Malfoy. His father's a Death-" He pauses and looks around before leaning closer and lowering his voice "Death Eater. You know what they're capable of...my Godfather is dea-...Sirius is gone because of that lot. You know as well as I that getting fubbled on by Malfoy is different then being fubbled on by anyone else."  
  
"I suppose your right." She sighs as they started to walk again.  
  
"Of course I'm right. He wants nothing more then to make everyone lives miserable, and I'm tired of it. I've been tired of it."  
  
"Well, when you're a famous Auror, you can put him in Azkaban, just like his dear old dad." She assures him. "You know why he went after her, don't you?" She asks then. "It's because he thinks you like her. Just like I think you-"  
  
"Not this again, Ginny." He groans, closing his eyes and shaking his head as he paused before the portrait hole, looking to it. "Cornelious Wipperbottom...I don't like her. I just feel sorry for her is all.."  
  
"Well, That's kind of you; offering your pity." She teases as she climbed through, both of them ignoring the Fat Lady's turned up nose at them for interrupting her nap. "If it's any reassurance, I think she likes you."  
  
"Don't be a nutter." He scoffs, looking up at her through his mussed hair as she straightened up and smoothed a long lock of hers back. "I think she likes R-"  
  
"Ron! H-Hermione!?"  
  
Ginny's sudden outburst caused Harry to jump up, banging his head on the low opening with a pained groan and he heard his glasses clatter to the floor before him. There was a small chorus of gasps as he scrambled for them, and when he finally got them on his face, it was in time to see Ron sprawled back on the floor and Hermione covering her mouth with a book, looking to he and Ginny with wide eyes. Both were red as Weasley hair.   
  
"Bloody hell!" Ron gasps, reaching up to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand absently as he sat up, looking like he'd just had the scare of his life. "Whater you doing here!?"  
  
"What!? We live here! You said to meet you here before dinner!" Harry insists, glancing to Ginny who was still staring at them wide eyed, her hands over her mouth, books on the floor before her. She looked like she was about to erupt into a fit of giggles.  
  
"Well! Y-you're bloody late!" Ron insists, scrambling to stand.  
  
"Well...h...he's here now, isn't he? Come on. Maybe we should go to dinner." Hermione stammers, grabbing her bag and shoving her things into it, seeming like she was trying to find anything to keep her from looking at the duo by the door.  
  
"Right." Ron agrees, cutting a Ginny a look that told her to keep her mouth shut.  
  
"Come on Harry. We'll just wait out here." Ginny says quickly, eyes glittering as she grabbed the front of his robes and headed into the hole again, looking back at the flushed two by the fire as they hung back to gather themselves.  
  
"Bloody hell...what was that about? Have they both gone mental?" Harry insists, pulling away from her once they're through.  
  
"I wish you would decide. In or out." The Fat Lady informs them stiffly. Again, she was ignored.  
  
"That or finally getting their wits about them." Ginny grins, saying nothing more.  
  
Harry was sure he'd missed something.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ruddy hell..." Ron sighs, reaching up to rake a hand through his hair as Hermione covered her face with both hands and erupted into the giggles Ginny had somehow suppressed. "What's so funny?" He asks, arching a brow. She shakes her head, shoulders shaking slightly. "You're mental." He sighs.  
  
She moves her hands and giggles shaking her head as she wipes a tear away, standing up. "Oh, Ron..." She sighs, pushing the bag under the chair with her foot as she tucks back a lock of hair. "Did you see the look on Ginny's face? And Harry....Poor Harry was positively clueless."  
  
"And hopefully he stays that way!" Ron insists wide eyed. Hermione was suddenly not smiling.  
  
"And why not? What's so bad about him knowing?" She asks, hands flying to her hips stiffly.  
  
"Are you nutter, Hermione?" Ron asks incredulously. "I don't want Harry knowing I was kissing you!"  
  
"Oh, really!? Well!" She gasps "Far be it from me to put you through it again, Ronald Weasley!" She reaches down and sweeps up her sweater, pulling it on with stiff movements and she moves towards the portrait hole.  
  
"No! 'Mione! That's not what I-"  
  
"I know full well what you meant, Ron. I'll see you at dinner." She hisses thinly before disappearing into the hall.  
  
He stares after her for a long moment, mouth open hands lifted palm side up as he shook his head. "Women!" He insists to the portraits on the wall, not staying long enough to see the men in them agree as the women shook their heads in disdain.  
  
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TBC  
  
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	2. Confronting a Dragon

"Hermione must have it out for you, Ron. What did you do this time?" Harry was asking as he watched her breeze past them icily, nodding as she greets him and not Ron who shrugs like he was indifferent about the whole fiasco. His red ears, however, told a different story.  
  
"She's just mental, Harry..you know how she gets." He excuses, suddenly seeming completely interested with his thumb nail. Harry arches a brow.   
  
"That's all, eh?" He asks, before nodding to himself in agreement. "Right. Well, no matter I s'pose. Er...Oh! Look, there's Ginny and Dean." He says then, elbowing him to get their minds off of an apparently tender subject. This time, it wasn't just Ron's ears that turned red. It was his whole face.  
  
"What does she see in him?" He gripes, cracking his knuckles like he might actually do something about it. "I don't like that bloke."  
  
"Yes you do." Harry scoffs. "You just don't like that he's dating your little sister."  
  
Ron had no comment, and even if he had, it wouldn't had mattered after what happens next.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Weasel King and Potty." Came the familiar and sickeningly lazy drawl of Draco Malfoy. Snickers from his cronies were ever accompanying it. "Wow, Weasel, I didn't think you could get much uglier. You look like a great spotted tomato."  
  
Harry could see Ron's shoulders stiffen, his knuckles turning white as they both turned to face the trio behind them. Draco stood just in front of and between Crabbe and Goyle who were cracking their knuckles, looking somehow less intelligent then they ever had before.  
  
"Sod off, Malfoy." Ron says in the calmest voice Harry was sure he'd ever heard him use. This couldn't mean good things for the blonde before them, and Harry was compelled to stay out of it, just to see what might happen....like that would ever happen.  
  
Draco looks Ron over, unimpressed, as he smirks and shifts his eyes to Harry, his demeanor darkening. "6th year's going to be a bad one for you, Potter." He raises and lowers his eye brows in a quick threatening motion and steps towards him, a hand raising to tell Crabbe and Goyle to stay back. The both of them shift their eyes to Ron, and stay there.  
  
"I'd watch my back if I were you, Draco." Harry hisses under his breath. "Now that Daddy's not here to scare people into doing your bidding...things are going to change."  
  
Draco's jaw stiffens and he reaches up quickly, grasping hold of Harry's tie, and wrapping it around his hand as he pulls him close angrily. They were nose to nose, and before Draco could say a word, the tip of Harry's wand pressed firmly up under his chin. "Watch...your...back." Harry repeats through clenched teeth.  
  
"I'm telling you you're going to pay for it, Potter." Draco hisses, letting him go, shoving him back in the process. He takes a few steps back and points at him. "You all will pay...even that filthy Mudblood, Granger"  
  
It was Ron that pointed his wand this time, face flushing further in anger. "If you try and harm a hair on her head, Malfoy, I'll.."  
  
"You'll...**what**, Mr. Weasley?"  
  
Snape.  
  
Draco looks behind them and smirks, motioning to Crabbe and Goyle that they should go. When they turn though, it's to find themselves faced with Professor McGonnagal. "What is going on here?" She asks insistently, looking from one set of boys and then to the other before to Professor Snape who stood behind Harry and Ron. Ron was the first to spout off.  
  
"Draco's being a bloody Git, that's what, and making..."  
  
"You would do well - Mr. Weasley, _Potter_ - to put your wands a-_**way**_." Professor Snape interrupts. They both do so, though Ron moved with more reluctance. "Now then...Draco, what's going on here?" He asks boredly, arranging his robes around him some to show just how unamused with this whole stand off he was. "Surely you weren't making empty threats against them..._were_ you?" He arches a brow.  
  
Draco smirks and gives a shake of his head. "No sir...I don't make _empty_ threats." He says matter of factly, eyes glancing to Harry and Ron as he said so threateningly. Ron opens his mouth to speak, going for his wand again, but Harry grabs his arm, his own lips thin in his utter loathing as Professor McGonnagal tuts them all.  
  
"This is unacceptable." She says, shaking her head. "We can't have students pulling their wands on each other in the halls, no matter what words are said. It just cannot happen. Potter, Weasley, ten points - each - from Gryffindor for aiming your wands at another student -"  
  
"But Professor-!"  
  
She casts a dangerous look to Ron for interrupting and he pipes down, swallowing thickly as she looks to the smirking Draco. "And even though I saw no wands in your hands, I don't believe for a moment that there were no words in your mouth. Five points each from Slytherin."  
  
Professor Snape looked less then amused, but said nothing on the matter. Draco however, was incensed. "You have no proof." He hisses angrily.  
  
"And TEN points for talking back, Mr. Malfoy." She informs him.  
  
"Draco, Crabbe, Goyle. Move along. Now." Snape says threateningly, breezing his way between Ron and Harry to grab Draco by the scruff of his shirt and turn him away down the hall.   
  
Professor McGonnagal steps out of their way and turns to watch them go before she looks back to the duo before her. "I am disappointed in you both." She tells them, shaking her head. "I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your cool. Especially in these dark times. Don't let me hear about something like this again, or I promise you it will be a weeks worth of detention next time." She looks from one to the other, trying to catch their shamed and lowered eyes. Once she does, she asks: "Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Yes P..professor." Harry stammers apologetically.  
  
"Weasley?" She asks.  
  
Ron looks up at her through his hair and gives a feinted nod. "Y...yes Professor." He mumbles.  
  
She looks between them again before nodding with a sigh. "Good. Now move along...Lunch has already begun." 


End file.
